Online views have effectively returned a huge chunk of Honda’s Super Bowl investment, as the automaker earned itself some $4.42 million in free media impressions in the three days after Super Bowl XLVI.
According to a new study by Kantar Video, the automaker aired two spots in the Super Bowl that enjoyed a whole new life online after the game. Through Feb. 8, Honda’s spoof of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, starring Matthew Broderick, was viewed 14.8 million times on YouTube and other online destinations, for an “earned media” value of $2.24 million.
Also drawing a crowd online was the Acura NSX spot starring Jerry Seinfeld. The ad, which featured cameos from the Soup Nazi and a usurping Jay Leno, was viewed 18.5 million times on YouTube, generating $2.18 million in free exposure.
Based on the average unit cost of $3.5 million per 30 seconds of airtime, each one-minute spot recouped nearly 33 percent of its original cost.
While the long-form (2:25) “Matthew’s Day Off” has since been yanked from YouTube, the 60-second version that ran during the Super Bowl remains online. Acura’s “Transaction” spot also continues to be available on the third-party video service.
Per Kantar’s calculations, automakers received the biggest bump from digital, as eight of the top 10 spots viewed online after the Super Bowl were delivered by car manufacturers. Chrysler’s “Halftime in America” spot with Clint Eastwood generated 7.68 million free views and nearly $975,000 in value, while VW’s “The Dog Strikes Back” earned 9.47 million unpaid views and more than three-quarters of a million dollars.
Other beneficiaries of postgame exposure were Fiat, Chevy Silverado, Audi and Toyota Camry.
The two non-auto brands in the top 10 were M&M’s and Pepsi.
All told, the roster of Super Bowl ads churned up some $11.1 million in incremental free online views. The top 10 spots alone accounted for $8.62 million of the total, on 95.2 million views.
As of Feb. 10, some 27 Super Bowl ads have broken the 1 million viewer mark since the Giants hoisted the Lombardi Trophy on Super Sunday.